Assemblage of parallel electric or electronic component-carrier units



June 21, 1966 R. s. RANSOM ETAL 3,257,535

ASSEMBLAGE 0F PARALLEL ELECTRIC OR ELECTRONIC COMPONENT-CARRIER UNITSFiled July 5, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 21, 1966 R. s. RANSOM ETAL3,257,585

ASSEMBLAGE OF PARALLEL ELECTRIC OR ELECTRONIC COMPONENT-CARRIER UNITS 5Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 5, 1963 June 1966 R. s. RANSOM ETAL 3, 7,

ASSEMBLAGE 0F PARALLEL ELECTRIC OR ELECTRONIC COMPONENT-CARRIER UNITS 5Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 5 1963 United States Patent 3 257,585ASSEMBLAGE 0F PARZXLLEL ELECTRIC 0R ELEC- TRGNIC QGMPGNENT-CARRIER UNITSRichard Sutton Ransom, Craigavad, County Down, anti Richmond JohnGalbraith, Braniel, Belfast, Northern Ireland, assignors to ShortBrothers and Harland Limited, Belfast, Northern Ireland Filed July 5,1963, Ser. No. 293,048 Claims priority, application Great Britain, July9, 1962,

26,163/62 Claims. (til. 317-101) This invention is concerned withelectronic and electrical apparatus comprising a plurality of relatedcircuits, including condensers, resistors, transistors and/or othercomponents, disposed either individually or in sub-assemblies, togetherwith their line conductor connections and other parts by which theseveral circuits are assembled into a unitary apparatus.

This invention provides that components of electronic or electricalapparatus shall be mounted or disposed, either separately or in selectedsub-assemblies, upon two or more lamellar component-carrier units whichare capable of being disposed and detachably fixed in relatively spacedparallel arrangement by suitable structural members, there being afurther carrier unit which constitutes a common distribution-board orpanel, and the elements on each of the component-carrier units beingconnected to said distribution-board unit by flexible conductors whichare anchored to edges of the respective units in such manner that whenthe apparatus is disassembled these units may bespread out in commonplanar arrangement with the component-carrier units extending outwardlyfrom the distribution-board unit.

The several lamellar carrier units may be of annular form so that whenassembled in co-axial parallel arrangement, they enclose collectively athree-dimensional space in which, for example, a battery, or aninstrument such as a gyroscope, or other component of the apparatus, maybe housed.

The component-carrier units preferably carry printed circuits whichinclude the necessary elements such as resistors, condensers and thelike and upon which other components are rigidly mounted. The conductorconnectors may be single wires or, and preferably, they may be in theform of flexible strips in which a number of conductors, havingdifferently coloured insulation for ease of identification, are arrangedside by side and bonded together by a suitable plastic medium in ribbonform.

The conductor strip connectors are anchored to the carrier-componentunits to which they belong only on one substantially straight edge ofthe unit, or where the unit is of circular form, only at one point ofthe edge thereof, in order that the unit may be folded outwardly aboutthe anchorage edge or point when the several units are spread out ondisassembly.

An embodiment of the invention as applied to an electronic apparatusincluding, in addition to a number of component circuits, such bulkyobjects as a battery and one or more gyroscopes, is illustrated in theaccompanying diagrammatic drawings to which reference is made in thefollowing detailed desscription. In said drawings, FIG. 1 is aperspective view of the apparatus as a whole seen without the coverenvelope, and FIGS. 2 and 3 are respectively an axial section and anunderside plan thereof; the section of FIG. 2 is taken on the lineII--II of FIG. 3. FIG. 4 is an exploded view showing the several partsof the apparatus in disassembled condition, and FIG. 5 is a plan of oneof the component-carrier units shown separately.

The particular apparatus illustrated comprises six component-carrierdisc units, respectively indicated at A, B,

3,257,585 Patented June 21, 1966 D, E and F, a circulardistribution-board unit G and a circular base-plate H which incorporatesan axially disposed cylindrical casing H2 which is conveniently used toaccommodate a gyroscope indicated at I; the base-plate also carriesthree angularly spaced mounting lugs H3. The disc C is a screening discnot shown in FIG. 4.

Each of the component-carrier discs A, B and D to F bears in the form ofa printed circuit such of the circuit elements as lend themselves toinclusion in that form, other related components, such as the elementsshown in FIG. 5, where K is an inductance, L a transistor and M aresistor, being rigidly mounted to the discs. Each of said discs A to Fhas a central circular aperture as shown in FIG. 5, and all the discsare supported in parallel arrangement by tubular distance-pieces N, thelength of which determines the spacing necessary to accommodate thedimensions of elements mounted on the discs. The distribution-board unitG is fixed co-axially with the discs A to F.

Metal or other support strips P are disposed longitudinally about theedges of the assembled discs and the base-plate, the strips P beingnotched to receive the edges of the discs and so to provide fixed axiallocation of the latter.

The elements of the circuits and other components upon the respectivediscs are connected to the distributionboard disc G by separate flexiblestrips Q of conductors each of which is anchored at one end to the unitG and at the other end to the notched edge of the disc A to F to whichit relates. Connections between elements on diiferent discs are madethrough the distribution-board disc G, and the arrangement is such thatafter removal of the distance-pieces N and the strips P, the whole ofthe apparatus borne by the component-carrier discs A, B and D to F maybe spread out in common planar relationship with the distribution-boarddisc G in the manner shown in FIG. 4, the unit G occupying the centralposition and the flexible strip connectors Q radiating therefrom to theseveral discs A to F. When so disassembled, ready access is afforded toall components and parts of circuits; parts may be repaired or replacedwith the minimum disturbance of the circuits or inter-connectionsbetween sub-assemblies on different discs, and the task of initialwiring is greatly simplified and cheapened.

The central apertures of the discs A to F and the tubulardistance-pieces N, provide a central space for housing the battery R.

Test points for testing the apparatus in its assembled condition may beprovided on the distribution-board disc G. Protection of the circuitsand components against environmental damage may be obtained by coatingthe same with a thin layer of a protective material, such as siliconrubber, which may be peeled oil to permit attention to a faultycomponent and subsequently restored by a local repair.

The whole assembly may be sealed within a cylindrical container S whichis secured by setscrews S2 to tapped holes in the unit G, whilst theskirt of the container fits around the rim of the base-plate H.

What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patentis:

1. In an electronic or electrical apparatus employing componentsdisposed upon at least three lamellar component-carrier units, theinvention comprising: means for demountab-ly fixing saidcomponent-carrier units in relatively spaced parallel arrangement, acommon distributionboard unit, flexible conductor means physically andelectrically connecting the components on each of said component-carrierunits directly to said distribution-board, said conductor means beinganchored to the edges of its respective componentcarrier unit to permitsaid component-carrier units to be positioned in a common planararrangement with respect to said distribution-board unit, and outwardlythereof, on removal of said fixing means from its operative relationshipwith said componentcarrier units.

2. An electronic or electrical apparatus as set forth in claim 1,wherein said component-carrier units are annular in form, said carrierunits being coaxially aligned when fixed in spaced parallel arrangementto enclose collectively a three-dimensional space suitable for housing acomponent of the apparatus.

3. An electronic or electrical apparatus as set forth in claim 1,wherein said fixing means includes support strips, said strips beingnotched to engage the edges of said units for locating said units inaxial alignment.

4. An electronic or electrical apparatus as set forth in claim 1 whereinsaid units are circular and are provided with peripheral notches forreceiving said conductor means. a

5. An electronic or electrical apparatus as set forth References Citedby the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,579,141 12/1951 Eckert et al317101 2,740,097 3/ 1956- Edelman et al.

2,934,814 5/1960 Williams et a1. 317101 3,010,052 V 11/1961 Heath et al3l7101 3,129,991 4/1964 Schmitz 317101 X KATHLEEN H. CLAFFY, PrimaryExaminer.

JOHN F. BURNS, Examiner.

S. H. BOYER, I. J. BOSCO, Assistant Examiners.

1. IN AN ELECTRONIC OR ELECTRICAL APPARATUS EMPLOYING COMPONENTSDISPOSED UPON AT LEAST THREE LAMELLAR COMPONENT-CARRIER UNITS, THEINVENTION COMPRISING: MEANS FOR DEMOUNTABLY FIXING SAIDCOMPONENT-CARRIER UNITS IN RELATIVELY SPACED PARALLEL ARRANGEMENT, ACOMMON DISTRIBUTIONBOARD UNIT, FLEXIBLE CONDUCTOR MEANS PHYSICALLY ANDELECTRICALLY CONNECTING THE COMPONENTS ON EACH OF SAID COMPONENT-CARRIERUNITS DIRECTLY TO SAID DISTRIBUTION-BOARD, SAID CONDUCTOR MEANS BEINGANCHORED TO THE EDGES OF ITS RESPECTIVE COMPONENT-CARRIER UNIT TO PERMITSAID COMPONENT-CARRIER UNITS TO BE POSITIONED IN A COMMON PLANARARRANGEMENT WITH RESPECT TO SAID DISTRIBUTION-BOARD UNIT, AND OUTWARDLYTHEREOF, ON REMOVAL OF SAID FIXING MEANS FROM ITS OPERATIVE RELATIONSHIPWITH SAID COMPONENTCARRIER UNITS.